The Transforming Power of God’s Grace: A Primer on Methodist Theology
This enlightening and compelling series explores the transforming power of God's Grace in the life of every true believer. Not only does God intend to save us from our sins, but also to renew our hearts and minds after the image of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ. In Methodist theology, we discuss three kinds of grace: prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying, along with the Christian perfection that God’s grace draws us toward.
I. Prevenient Grace
Prevenient grace describes the patient love sent our way continuously by God the Father (who is called “Father” simply because He is the origin of everything). All of us are born with a condition that afflicts us before we’re self-aware enough to really make decisions for ourselves. Christianity has historically referred to this condition as “original sin,” though I prefer to label our originating condition “self-justification.”
Simply put, we’re rational creatures who do irrational things. We want to make sense to ourselves and other people so we distort both our recollection of our mistakes and how we represent ourselves to others to put ourselves in the best light. By justifying ourselves in this way, we generate a bubble around us that isolates us from God and other people. Prevenient grace is God’s unilateral aggressive pursuit of every creature that He loves. God is constantly using people and events in our lives to tap on our bubble and draw us closer to Him. This love is not merely a vague benevolent feeling, but a constant call into deeper intimacy with God and reconciliation with each other.
II. Justifying Grace
Grace begins with the forgiveness offered at the Cross, but it doesn't end there. Justifying grace describes the climax of God’s relentless pursuit of humanity through His incarnation in the second member of the Trinity known as the Son, God’s Word, or Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are all essential to God’s process of reconciling humanity to Himself and popping all of our bubbles of self-justification.
The centerpiece of justifying grace is the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross gives us a place to put everything that we have done and received that causes guilt and resentment so that our bubble can be popped forever. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proves to us that He has indeed conquered sin and death so that we can step out of our bubble of shame and fear and into the new life of resurrection that He offers us. As Jesus says, “I died for your sins so you could take off that mummy wrap. And now I’ve conquered death so you can come out of the tomb and live in my kingdom!”
III. Sanctifying Grace
Until we are set free from the bubble of self-justification, we can only be transformed into the people God wants us to be against our will or at least without our direct awareness. When we have renounced self-justification and put our trust in the justification of Jesus’ cross, then we can proactively embrace and even rejoice at the correction and refinement the Holy Spirit works in our hearts, which is called sanctifying grace.
God intends to renew our hearts and minds after the image of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Through the proactive work of the Holy Spirit, we are shaped into good people and can enjoy the true joy of God’s communion. This process moves us toward the Christian perfection that God’s grace draws us toward.
Summary of the Three Stages of Grace
- Prevenient Grace: God's unilateral aggressive pursuit; patient love that taps on our bubble of self-justification.
- Justifying Grace: The climax of reconciliation through the Cross and Resurrection; popping the bubble of shame and fear.
- Sanctifying Grace: The proactive refinement by the Holy Spirit; renewing the heart and mind after the image of Christ.